All You Need to Know About Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea has long been consumed by people from all over the world. As a matter of fact, in ancient Egypt hibiscus tea was supposedly the favorite drink of pharaohs. In many countries, there's a very long tradition of using the tea as a natural herbal medicine. What should you need to know about hibiscus tea? In this article I share with you the most important facts about it.
How the tea is made?
Hibiscus tea is made from the calyces of the hibiscus flower which is native to tropical and subtropical climates such as Mexico, Thailand, India, Pacific Islands, China, Egypt and Sudan. What's interesting, hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii.
What's the recipe?
You can either buy loose leaf tea or buy tea bags. Once you have the tea, you can either make hot tea or cold tea.
If you want to make hot tea, bring water to boil, put one teaspoon of hibiscus loose leaf tea in a mug and steep the tea for 5 to 7 minutes.
If you want to make cold tea, you'll need about 6 cups of water and ½ cup of sugar. Bring water to boil, remove it from heat, add 1/2 cup of hibiscus flower tea leaves and sugar, stir it, wait for 10 minutes and cool completely. Serve with plenty of ice.
Since hibiscus tea has a tart flavor, many people sweeten it with sugar. You can also add some spices.
Here are three most important health benefits of the tea:
1. It reduces blood pressure
Hibiscus tea is caffeine-free so it's a good substitute for coffee or black tea. Moreover, studies have shown that it's very effective in reducing high blood pressure in people who have mild to moderate hypertension. Your blood pressure will go down by about seven to ten points if you keep drinking three cups of the tea each day for at least a few weeks.
2. It improves your cardiovascular health
Researchers have confirmed that hibiscus tea is helpful in reducing "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. The lower these levels are, the lower your risk of heart disease. It's a very important health benefit, since nowadays the leading cause of deaths worldwide are cardiovascular diseases.
3. It's rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells against the effects of dangerous free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to your cells and possibly also shorten your lifespan. If you want to lower your risk of getting serious diseases, you should have a diet rich in antioxidants.
Keep in mind that the tea is a herbal medicine, which means that there are some possible side effects. If you're pregnant of if you take any medication, ask your doctor before drinking the tea!
PS. If you want to learn more about hibiscus tea, be sure to visit Hibiscus Tea website.
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